The Unbelievable Truth. David Mitchell. Copyright: BBC / Random Entertainment
The Unbelievable Truth

The Unbelievable Truth

  • Radio panel show
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2006 - 2024
  • 177 episodes (29 series)

David Mitchell hosts this Radio 4 panel game built on truth and lies. Contestants must try and smuggle truths into lie-filled speeches.

  • Due to return for Series 30

Episode menu

Series 2, Episode 5

Michael McIntyre talks about pigs, Fred MacAulay looks at beds, Graeme Garden discusses Sweden and Lucy Porter chats about Leonardo da Vinci.

The Truths

Fred MacAulay - Beds

- Humans spend 25 years of their lives in bed. Found by Graeme.

- Charles Dickens always aligned his bed north to south. Found by Graeme.

- Most men sleep on the side of the bed closest to the door. Found by Lucy.

- A typical bed can house over 6 billion dust mites. Successfully smuggled.

- According to recent research, the average bed last longer than the average marriage. Beds last 12.5 years, marriage lasts 11.4 years. Successfully smuggled.

Graeme Garden - Sweden

- In one Swedish town a game of cow bingo is played every year, where people bet on which of 81 squares a cow will lay a cow pat on first. Found by Fred.

- ABBA has to change their original name because it sounded too much like a popular brand of pickled herring and were worried they might be sued. Found by Lucy.

- The Øresund Bridge linking Denmark and Sweden is a tunnel on the Danish side and a bridge on the Swedish side. Found by Fred.

- The Swedish consume more tomato ketchup than any other country in the world. Found by Michael.

- Sweden won the seventh World Underwater Rugby Championships in 2003. Successfully smuggled.

Lucy Porter - Leonardo da Vinci

- Leonardo could bend iron bars and horseshoes. Found by Graeme.

- Leonardo once sketched plans for a pedal-powered tank. Found by Graeme.

- Leonardo believed that beavers chewed off their own testicles, believing they had medicinal properties. Found by Graeme.

- Leonardo invented an alarm clock that woke the person by gently rubbing their feet. Successfully smuggled.

- Leonardo da Vinci was dyslexic. Successfully smuggled.

Michael McIntyre - Pigs

- In America, pigs have played computer games. Found by Fred.

- A pig's penis is shaped like a corkscrew. Found by Fred.

- Pigs can become alcoholics. Found by Lucy.

- The people of the Marquesas Islands use the word "pig" for all animals. Successfully smuggled.

- Only in English do pigs go "oink". Successfully smuggled.

Scores

- Fred MacAulay, Graeme Garden and Lucy Porter: 4 points
- Michael McIntyre: 0 points

Broadcast details

Date
Monday 2nd June 2008
Time
6:30pm
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Length
30 minutes

Repeats

Show past repeats

Date Time Channel
Thursday 6th September 2012 9:30am Radio 4 Extra
Friday 7th September 2012 2:30am Radio 4 Extra

Cast & crew

Cast
David Mitchell Host / Presenter
Guest cast
Graeme Garden Guest
Lucy Porter Guest
Michael McIntyre Guest
Fred MacAulay Guest
Writing team
Iain Pattinson Writer
Production team
Jon Naismith Producer

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